PHL 353
Fall, 2005
Dr. Jinmei Yuan
Tel: 280-3309
Email: jinmei@creighton.edu
Introduction to Buddhism
BuddhismThe most colossal example in history of applied metaphysics.
--Alfred North Whitehead
What are we going to do in this class?
1. To let Buddhists give an account of themselves;
2. To trace the line of development from India through China to Japan, which will provide a relatively coherent picture for us to understand the contributions from Buddhists in these countries.
3. To discuss the development of Buddhism and to understand that this development also reflects the very high level of culture, which was imparted to the further growth and spread of the religion
.
Work sheets:
There is a list of things:
Water, tree, thought, God, dream, book, fire, ass, pig, red, the world, the moon, wave, story, flood, sex, breath, illness, hungry, love, Human, movie, a girl friend, family, morality, illusion, light, pain, time, knowledge, fetus, death.
Write done
Reality on the blue sheet, and Phenomena on the pink sheetYou do two things:
1. If the thing is real, please write it done on the blue sheet, if it is not real, please write it done on the pink sheet.
2. Put these things in an order, if you can find one.
Historical Background:
1. Two traditions:1.1. Aryans (From central Asia (circa 1750 B. C.) and Dasyus (the dark-skinned aborigines):
1.1.1.The Rgveda (believed to be the compositions of the Vedic poets) records the clash between Aryans and Dasyus.
1.1.1.1. Aryans: A race of nomadic herders. They were from the Central Asian and steppe thrust their way into north-west India. They spoke an Indo-European language, an early form of Sanskrit. They were well-armed warriors. Dasyus: A dark-skinned race which has possessed a highly developed local culture and an urban society.
1.1.1.2. Vedas: The period of Indian history ushered in by the coming of Aryans is known as the Vedic Age (c, 1500-500BC), after a series of literary compositions of great antiquity known as the Vedas (Veda: knowledge). The oldest is the Rgveda.
1.1.2. The discovery by archaeologists shows that the dark-skinned inhabitants had a highly developed culture, the Upanishads.
1.1.3.The aim of the sages of the Upanishads (as well as the heresiarchs of the unorthodox schools later) was to achieve salvation from the round of birth and death, and to it could only be obtained after a long course of physical and mental disciple.
1.1.4. Aryans felt so strange when they saw the culture of non-Aryans (naked, long-haired ascetics).
2.1. Aryan and non-Aryan traditions
2.2.1. The history of Indian philosophy may be described as the story of the struggle for supremacy between these two traditions.
2.2.2. Hinduism:
It may be derived from an ancient inscription translated as: "The country lying between the Himalayan mountain and Bindu Sarovara is known as Hindusthan by combination of the first letter 'hi' of 'Himalaya' and the last compound letter 'ndu' of the word `Bindu.'" Bindu Sarovara is called the Cape Comorin sea in modern times.
Hinduism does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or a central religious organization. It consists of "thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE."
Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. It remains arguably one of the most tolerant of such religions.
2.2.2. Early Indian Philosophy, before its gradual systematization, is know as "Brahmanism"
1.2.3. Early Indian thinkers' world view: (Handout)
2.2.The relations between Early Indian thinkers and the Buddhist world view:
Buddhism adopted the position that "thought" was originally existent, non-existent, both, or neither. The origin of the world will have to be left unanswered, and the question of origin itself renounced. The absolute origin is unknowable and therefore, inconceivable.
2.3. Caste:
Priests (Brahmins),
RULERS/WARRIORS (Ksatriyas),
MERCHANTS (Vaisyas),
SERVANTS/LABOR CLASS (Sudras)
2.4. Water and Purity:
2.5. Karma Circle
2.6. Hinduism and Buddhim :
Krishna and Buddha:
Karma and Buddhist Moral Belief:
Buddhist Hell 1; Buddhist Hell 2 (students' research)
- Buddhism and Hinduism sought escape from troubles of the world. Different paths.
- Buddhism did not require complex rituals.
- Buddha taught in everyday language- not in ancient Sanskrit
- Buddhism- concern for all human beings-men, women, highborn, lowborn.
Buddhism is a unique perspective on reality and the best life for human beings. It seeks to transcend all cultures and traditions by teaching the Dharma---the eternal truth about reality.
2. 1. Buddhism is known as both a teaching and a way of deliverance.
2. 2. Buddhism is also a way of life: freed them from life and freed them for life:
2. 3. Buddhism is also considered as religion: a way of salvation from oneself and from the world, an answer to man's finite condition
2.4. Buddha left a tremendous doctrine;
2.5. Human history is of little significance compared to the timeless truth.
3. Difference between Western religions and Buddhism:
Buddhism recognizes:
3.1. no supreme God and has no theology of the sort that characterizes Christianity:
3.2. Human experience rather than divine revelation:
3.3.Recognition of the human condition:
The brief outline of Buddha's life:
4.1. One of the first true biographies was the Buddhacarita ("Acts of the Buddha"), 1 or 2 Century AD, by the Sanskrit poet Ashvaghosha.
4.2. Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. He was the son of a chief of the hill-tribe of Shakyas. He was born at Lumbini (the kingdom of Nepal today) around 563 BC. His given name was Siddhartha. His father was Suddhodana. His mother was Mahamaya
4.3. The story of Buddha-to-be: From Tushit Heaven, in the form of a white elephant.
4.4. A wise sage, Asita's prediction and Suddhodana's response:
4.5. Siddhartha married when he was 16. His wife is Yasodhara, his beautiful young cousin.
4.6. Siddhartha's four fateful trips to the outside world:
4.6.1. Human conditions:
4.6.2. Human existence:
4.7. Suffering:
4.7.1. The true nature of human existence: old age, sickness and death:
4.7.2. Suffering is the primary fact of human existence:
4.7.3. The way of live amidst the suffering of the world:
4.7.4. "The great renunciation": the night when his son Rahula was born, Siddhartha escaped from his palace.
5.1. Nothingness:
5.2. The realm of neither perception nor non-perception:
5.3. Self-mortification:
5.4. The meaning of Buddha is "the Enlightened One":
5.4.1. Siddhartha understood the nature of human suffering and the way to overcome it suddenly under a sacred pipal tree at Gaya (in the modern Bihar).
5.4.2. Bhikkhus: The bad of yellow-robed, which the Buddha left behind him to continue his work.
s initial orientation is to the human reality rather than a divine reality.6.1. Buddha exemplified to millions of his followers a living Truth, a dynamic wisdom, and an active compassion.
6.2. The difference between Buddha and God:
6.3. Buddha questioned whether the concepts or practices of that tradition offered any fundamental solution to the human predicament.
6.4. Buddhism is not a set of static truths but has its own power of development.
6.5. Buddhism